Tuesday, 8th June 2021: The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (FOBTOB), has been regarded as an association that differ in terms of structure, ideology, goals, objectives, to other unions in Nigeria.
This is as a result of the purposeful leadership that the association is blessed with, and also a good succession plan which bring about smooth and peaceful transition. This enhanced the association in witnessing many distinctions contrary to other unions in the nation.
The industry shoulder with the responsibilities of promoting sustainable economic growth, and quality job creation in Nigeria elected its new executives in a free and fair election without biasness and prejudice regardless of its dynamism in nature.
The association also sees education as the bedrock of every society, as such built hostels for higher institutions of learning in the country, and at the same time empowered some students who excelled in their higher institutions of learning by rewarding them with one million naira each for academic excellence, having come top in their studies with First class honours in their respective disciplines. As such, other associations and bodies have been charged to see FOBTOB as a good example to emulate.
FOBTOB, the industry shoulder with the responsibility of promoting sustainable economic growth, and quality job creation in Nigeria.
Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has been described as the industry shoulder with the responsibilities of promoting sustainable economic growth, and quality job creation in Nigeria.
The immediate former National President of FOBTOB, Comrade Quadri Adewumi Olaleye, stated this at the 14th National Delegates’ Conference of the association that took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The conference, with the sole aim of electing new officers of the National Executive Council, the highest policy-making organ of the association. It is also to critically assess the past, evaluate the present, make projections into the future, and also to provide room for amending the association’s constitution.
CEOAFRICA reports that the Conference also see to the emergence of six millionaires.
‘Naira rain’ at FOBTOB 14th National Delegates’ Conference
The six beneficiaries of one million naira each were First class graduates from various universities and a young inventor from Bayelsa state, who single handedly built a Drone from scratch with locally sourced materials.
The five graduates were awarded One million naira each for outstanding academic performance.
The beneficiaries according to CEOAFRICA were:
1.Mrs. Akinboroye Oluwaseyi Esther, First Class Honours in Educational Management/English from Lead University Ibadan, Oyo State - 2019/2020 academic session.
2.Miss Ajani Comfort Oluwapelumi, First Class Honours in Biology – Applied Biology/Biotechnology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State - 2019/2020 academic session.
3.Miss Cecilia Uchechukwu Ezeaya, First Class Honours in Botany, University of Ibadan, Oyo State - 2019/2020 academic session.
4. Mr. Michael Eniola Olabode, First Class Honours in Mathematics, University of Ibadan, Oyo State - 2019/2020 academic session.
5. Mr. Jigida Adedayo Babatunde, First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos State - 2019/2020 academic session while
6. Mr. Oghenero Rejoice Oghenekoke – A native of Kaima, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA in Bayelsa State – Built Drone using locally sourced materials – May 2020
The former National President of the Association, who is the incumbent President of Trade Union Congress, (TUC), Comrade Quadri Olaleye, while delivering his welcome address, paid glowing tributes to the past leaders of the association for their relentless efforts toward sustainability of the association up to where it is presently.
Comrade Olaleye said “distinguished guests and delegates, this association has visionary leaders, and this can be attested to by the achievements recorded in the past, the incumbent National Officers of the association has further built on the foundation and has also launched the name of the association into the spotlight in the comity of trade unions”.
He charged the newly elected National Officers to live up to their campaign promises. He also used the medium to admonish the Federal Government of Nigeria to find a lasting solution to the present economic crisis battling the country by appealing to the government to turn a new leaf from their usual ‘all talk and no action’.
Nigeria Government should wake up from the ‘snail speed approach’
Later in an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA, Comrade Olaleye on behalf of the teeming members of association drew the attention of the federal government to the food sector in particular, urging the government to meet with Employer’s Association for engagement on how to move the food sector forward.
He was of the believe that the Government will wake up from its snail speed approach to governance, stressing that governance is a serious business for serious-minded people.
He said, government must urgently start to address the issue of the growing unemployment rate, insecurity, and the general infrastructure decay in the nation. He tasked the Federal Government of Nigeria, to use FOBTOB National Delegates’ Conference as a good example by making sure that the Nigerian General Election is always free and fair.
Former FOBTOB National President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye score card
In the same vein, Comrade Quadri Olaleye maximized the opportunity of his address to reel out his administration’s numerous achievements. He started by recalling with members of the association, his campaign promises in 2015, when he was campaigning for the office. Olaleye, who promised then, that if he is opportune to steer the wheel of leadership of the association, he shall change its face by embarking on meaningful and notable projects. “But to my surprise, my team did not only commit themselves to this good idea but fantastically displayed a level of understanding and loyalty,” he said.
Olaleye said, “I am grateful to the Almighty God today that, the passion which began with the idea of giving the National Office of the association, a facelift to make a befitting one has not only become a reality but had other projects as compliments”.
He added that “this is another testimony of our well-known tradition of legacy projects, and a realization of our regime’s resolve to put back education at the centre stage of our development, and as a required infrastructure for the attainment of the new face of Nigeria”.
Comrade Olaleye opined that, it is a clear indication that the association is a champion for the restoration of standards and quality of education in Nigeria, which will remain a strong partner with all those that seeks to advance the same cause.
CEOAFRICA checks showed that the Comrade Quadri Adewumi Olaleye-led administration successfully built three hostels in three different higher institutions in the country, which includes one in the East, West, and North respectively, without placing unnecessary financial burden on the members through contributions or bank loan.
The beneficiary institutions were; Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State with 26 rooms, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State with 24 rooms, and Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State with 42 rooms.
He added that his administration’s achievement included payment of gratuity to its members.
How FOBTOB broke the glass ceiling of nineteen (19) years
This can also be attributed as another achievement of Comrade Quadri Olaleye-led administration, by breaking the glass ceiling of nineteen (19) years, as he emerged the President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria at the delegates’ conference held at NAF Conference center, Abuja on the 28th June 2019 as well as the emergence of Comrade Akinsola Akinwumi, Branch Chairman of Dangote Flour Mill Limited as the Chairman of Kwara State TUC.
Comrade Olaleye, shown maximum appreciation to his fellow National Officers, who accompanied him in steering the wheel of progress of the association to a fruitful end.
The emergence of the newly elected President of the union
On Saturday 29th May, 2021, after a rancor free election, Comrade Jimoh Oyibo emerged as the newly elected president of FOBTOB.
The president-elect in an Exclusive Interview with CEOAFRICA promised to accord members' welfare top priority in his agenda as well as training of members and partnering with the Trade Union Congress for the government to meet the demands of their employers in ensuring food security and economic growth of the country.
Comrade Oyibo said FOBTOB is a model for rancor free electoral process in Nigeria Unionism. Other elected officers include:
1. Deputy National President - Comrade Adebayo Aderogba
2. General Secretary - Comrade Iyeye Peter
3. National Treasurer - Comrade Bunmi Adesanya
4. Vice President Western zone - Comrade Lanre Yusuf
5. Vice President Eastern zone - Comrade Christopher Amadi
6. Vice President, Northern zone - Comrade Nasiru Musa Bichi
7. Trustee for Northern zone - Comrade Makinde Solomon
8. Comrades Onyeabor Nwachukwu and Obot Asuquo for both Western and Eastern zones.
Similarly, in an interview with CEOAFRICA, the newly elected Deputy National President of the union, Comrade Adebayo Aderogba, assured members of the association of maximum job security.
He also promised members of the body, an adequate package from National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC), the umbrella body responsible for discussion on salary and benefit for the members of the Association, which normally meet every two years. He then assured Nigerians of healthy and quality food during the tenure of the current administration in FOBTOB.
Also speaking with CEOAFRICA, the newly-elected General Secretary of the association, Comrade Iyeye Peter, who gave thanks to the Almighty God for making the election a peaceful one, said, this is because the union understand the consequences of electoral crisis which may snowballed into violence. He admonished the newly elected president to take off from where Comrade Olaleye stopped, which at the end will move the association forward.
Also, the General Secretary assured the members of the association and Nigeria at large of their best possible effort, as their administration will strive hard so as to deliver their mandates.
He added that, their tenure will work toward showcasing unionism in Nigeria by extending hands of fellowship to the outsider, by giving out scholarship as it was rightly done by their predecessor.
The General Secretary said members of the association should know that they are in good hands going by the pedigree of the newly elected president of the union, saying he is equal to the task.
“I am not in doubt about what his performance will be, he has been in the system for a long time, for almost 20 years, as a National Officer, as Ex-officio, to trustee, to treasurer, to deputy National President, now National President of the association, he has vast knowledge about the union, he is going to do perfectly well, I have no doubt,” he boasted.
Also, the newly-elected National Treasurer of FOBTOB, Comrade Bunmi Adesanya, equally assured the new executives of FOBTOB women members’ support in an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA.
Been the only woman in the cabinet, she said women believed in what Comrade Oyibo can offer, hence their total support for him to emerge as the President.
She said, “Though I seems like a lone ranger in the men dominated FOBTOB executives, I am so powerful as I occupied the power house of the association, been the National Treasurer.”
Comrade Adesanya also added that the new executive is ready to be united, to work as a team for the good and betterment of the association.
FOBTOB is seen as an engine room for food security, and a means of livelihood to all, at the same time, the model which other labour associations and groups in the country should emulate.
